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Keeping turfgrass healthy can be a challenge in West Texas

Allison Watkins, Special to San Angelo Standard-Times
Published 8:43 a.m. CT May 6, 2019

Many homeowners take pride in having a dense, green lawn – and many wish they could, but struggle with the challenges of growing healthy turfgrass in the west Texas climate.

Lawns are an important part of the home landscape that can add a lot of enjoyment and can increase property value.

A new species of fungal disease, Curvularia malina, was found to be causing ink-link spots on fairways of many southern golf courses.(Photo: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service)

This time of year, some common problems to watch out for are various fungal diseases, and later in the year summer insect pests like chinch bugs and grubs can cause problems.

But other factors to consider include deep shade, compacted soil, or misaligned sprinkler head, just to name a few.

There are so many different types of things that can damage the lawn, just identifying the problem is usually the hardest step.

If you suspect a disease but aren’t sure, try submitting a sample to the Plant Disease Lab at Texas A&M – see https://plantclinic.tamu.edu/ for info.

Common turf diseases this time of year include grey leaf spot, take-all root rot, and brown patch. Take-all root rot is a very common concern and there are many questions on it every year.

Take-all root rot is a fungal disease that can affect any type of turf, but is seen a lot in St. Augustine lawns. Like the name says, it causes the roots to decay which causes large dead areas, and it is most active in the spring and fall.

The pathogen really thrives in alkaline conditions, and prefers frequent irrigation and excessive nitrogen applications. It is also an "opportunistic" pest, meaning it’s usually not able to damage an otherwise healthy lawn, but if anything stresses the grass, the fungal spores are able to infect the grass.

Keeping the lawn healthy is key to preventing this disease; deep but infrequent irrigation is much better than light, frequent watering for other reasons but is also important regarding take-all.

Don’t over apply nitrogen – do a soil test to find out exactly how much, if any, nitrogen is needed. This is a good example of why identifying the cause is important, and why it’s not a good idea to just give extra water and fertilizer to stressed turf.

Fungicides can be helpful for control, some of the fungicides that are labeled for and effective against take-all include azoxystrobin (trade name Heritage G), thiophanate-methyl (trade name Cleary’s 3336) and propiconazole (trade name Banner Maxx).

There are also other trade names and generic options available for each.

Another recommendation is to top-dress the lawn with peat moss. Peat moss creates a more acidic environment around the turfgrass, which is unfavorable to the pathogen.

Apply one to two bales of peat per thousand square foot and rake into the grass. For more info, visit https://tomgreen.agrilife.org/horticulture/.

Allison Watkins is the Texas A&M AgriLife extension agent for horticulture in Tom Green County. Email her at aewatkins@ag.tamu.edu.